Top Ten Movie Songs

Music is a critical ingredient in film, elevating the impact of any scene. Some DVDs include a feature that documents the creation of a scene — one easily recognizes that there is a dramatic difference between viewing a scene without and with music. From time to time, the popularity of a movie’s song overshadows the film that inspired it. The song becomes iconic, defining not only a particular film, but an entire era. In 2004, the American Film Institute turned its attention to the most famous, enduring movie songs. After considering 400 candidates, the institute ranked the 100 greatest songs from American cinema. Gene Kelly and Judy Garland tie for most entries on that list — five times. Garland’s best known songs are: “Over the Rainbow,” “The Man that Got Away,” “Get Happy,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “The Trolley Song.” Kelly’s well-known songs include: “Singin’ in the Rain,” “I Got Rhythym,” “New York, New York,” “Good Morning,” and “Long Ago (and Far Away).” Here is the list of the top ten movie songs from American films: